Reflector



March 3, 1936. R. J. LE GUILLOU REFLECTOR Filed Nov. 15, 1935 [/7 l/P/7for fin? f1? 1 6 60/7/00 Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Soclete Des Applications Guilux, Paris,

France, a limited company of France Application November 15, 1933,Serial No. 698,175 In France November 16, 1932 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to reflectors for wave-motion energy 1. e.for undulatory propagated luminous or thermal rays, its primary objectbeing to provide a reflector wherein the refleeting surface or web isconstituted by a high ly flexible material and is so constructed andarranged that its general curvilinear outline or profile can be readilymodified at will within the wide limits allowed by the inherent highflexibility of said material, whereby the direction of the reflectedbeams can be varied quite independently of the location of the source ofenergy which may be stationary or displaceable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reflector wherein themodification of the general curvilinear outline of the reflectingsurface can be performed very easily owing to the inherent highflexibility of its constitutive material by very simple means andwithout creating in said surface any salients that would otherwise breakthe continuity and homogeneity of the reflected beams.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a reflectorwherein the reflecting surface or web can be gradually flexed at will tochange the direction and concentration of the reflected beams veryprecisely so as to parallelize the reflected rays or to cause them todiverge or converge exactly to the desired extent with a view toscattering or concentrating the luminous and/or thermal effects of saidrays to suit illumination and/or thermal requirements.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a reflectorwherein the pressing means for flexing the reflecting web or surface tothe required outline or profile are so associated with the holding meansfor supporting said web as to build a unitary self-contained structureof small volume.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide such aself-contained structure of troughlike or box-like shape capable ofbeing used for miscellaneous purposes such for example as theillumination of showcases, shop windows or display rooms whileconcealing the source of light to the eyes of the onlookers, thestructure being located for instance adjacent a cornice or a Wainscot.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a reflectorcomposed of a minimum number of parts, of simple and rugged constructionand capable of being cheaply manufactured and installed while ensuring aperfect operation and permitting easy adjustment of the reflectiveeffeet.

With these and such other objects in view as will incidentally appearhereafter, the invention comprises the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of parts that will now be described with reference tothe accompanying dia- 5 grammatic drawing exemplifying the invention andforming a part of the present disclosure.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic edge view showing a reflector according tothe invention, the portion AB being intended to be held stationarilywhile the portion BC is adapted to be flexed to modify the shape anddirection of the reflected beams.

Figure 2 is a diagammatic edge view similar to Figure 1 showing anotherreflector according to the invention, the reflecting web AB ofcurvilinear outline or profile being merely held against motion at Awhile capable of being flexed throughout its outline from A to B.

Figure 3 is another diagrammatic edge view similar to Figures 1 and 2showing a further reflector according to the invention, the reflectingweb ABC of curvilinear outline being held at B while capable of beingflexed from A to B and from B to C to variable extents.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a contructional embodiment of thereflector diagrammatically shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a constructional embodiment of thereflector diagrammatically shown in Figure 2.

Like references designate like parts throughout the several views.

Whatever the embodiment of the invention may be, the reflecting web ofthe improved reflector is made of an inherently highly flexible materialcapable of being flexed from a curvi linear outline or profile having agiven reflective power to another curvilinear outline or profile havinga different reflective power without creating any salients that is tosay without giving rise to projecting or jutting edges that would creategaps or blanks in the reflected beam of rays. Such an inherently highlyflexible material may be for example a sheet of metal or alloypossessing altogether the required flexibility or resiliency and asufficient reflecting power by itself or when properly polished. Such asheet of metal or alloy may be advantageously in the form of acontinuously curved Web or plate of suitable thickness for not impairingits inherent flexibility, this metallic web having reflecting propertieson one or both faces depending on requirements. The reflective power ofthis web may be due simply to proper polishing or may be enhanced ifrequired for example by ribs, serrations, protuberances, undulations orsimilar means, provided that such reflection-augmenting means are easyto form in the course of manufacture on the web and are not capable ofsubstantially lessening its flexibility.

According to the invention, the limit of elasticity or flexibility ofthe sheet of metal or alloy used as a reflecting web or surface mustnever be reached during the operation or adjustment of the reflector, sothat said web can be flexed or distorted at will to assume the requiredcurvilinear outline depending on the reflecting effect which is sought.

Flexion and distortion of the reflecting web which is single or multiplecan be combined to obtain the desired effects. They may be obtained byholding, abutting or supporting said web in any approved way at one ormore end or intermediate positions throughout its area and flexing itfor example by means of brackets, cams, bufiers, rockers or othersuitable pressing or flexing means capable of conveniently changing theoutline or profile of said web within the limits of its flexibility orresiliency.

Such a reflector utilizes a source of wavemotion energy, for example oneor more electric lamps located either stationarily or adjustably. Theadjustability of the source of energy may be co-ordinated with theflexion of the reflecting web for instance owing to a mechanical orother known construction, for instance for correctly focusing the sourceof luminous or thermal rays regardless of the changing curvature of thereflecting web.

If the source of energy is for example mainly a source of light, it maybe constituted by one or more incandescent or are lamps or luminescentgas filled tubes. If the source of energy is mainly a source of heat, itmay be constituted for instance by a tube of linear or other formthrough which a heated fluid is caused to flow. Lastly, if the source ofvibratory energy is a cooling source, it may be formed by a tube throughwhich a refrigerating medium circulates. All such variations areintended to be involved by the expression wave-motion energy.

Reference being now had specifically to Figure 1, this showsdiagrammatically a curvilinear reflector ABC generated by a straightdescribent or generatrix according to well-known geometrical laws. Inthis embodiment of the invention, the portion AB of the reflector ismaintained stationary by any known or approved holding means (not shownin this diagrammatic view but illustrated in Figure 4) while theremaining portion BC may be flexed owing to the inherent highflexibility of the material of which the reflector is made. By thusflexing the portion BC, this portion may assume such positions ofdifferent profiles as BC or BC without reaching the limit of flexibilityof the material. Therefore there is no risk of the latter formingsalients or jutting out. The source of wave-motion energy is shown at S,and the rays are shown at SBM, SCN, SC N SC N The distance between thelines ON and C N clearly illustrates in a diagrammatic way themodification of the reflecting efiect of the portion BC of the reflectorafter it has been flexed from the position C to the position C In Figure2 is similarly shown a flexible reflector having a curvilinear outlineAB described by a straight generatrlx. In this embodiment, the reflectoris held stationary merely along its end A so that it can be flexedthroughout its area. The source of energy is stationarily located at Sat an invariable distance from A. When flexing the reflector as showndiagrammatically by the dotted lines, its end may resiliently move forinstance from the position 18 to the position B the outline of thereflector becoming AB and AB respectively. The rays are shown at SBN, SBN SB N Figure 3 shows a reflector ABC having a curvilinear outlinedescribed by a straight generatrix. In this embodiment, the point B isstationary while the points A and C can be moved for instance from A toA and from C to C respectively by suitably flexing the reflecting web oneither side of the point B. The rays from the source S are showndiagrammatically at SAM, SA M SA M and SCN, SC N SC N Reflectors havingreflecting webs as abovedescribed can be manufactured in a variety ofways of which two are illustrated by way of examples in Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 4 shows diagrammatically a constructional form of the reflectoraccording to Figure 1. The stationary curvilinear portion AB isconstituted in this embodiment by an elongated trough lo the outline ofwhich is in the form of a cylindrical segment whose inner face ispolished or made reflecting in any approved way. This trough I0 issecured against motion for example by rivets to a pair of supportingplates ll having lugs l2 by means of which it can be secured to a wall,a Wainscot, a cornice or another architectural or structural part, forinstance adjacent the ceiling or the floor of a shop window or in ashowcase. Each plate ll carries a check plate l3 to which may be secureda lamp socket of usual construction or another support for aconventional source of energy (not shown). The trough Ill extends on oneside in the shape of a skirt M of highly flexible metal whose inner faceis polished or conveniently made reflecting. This skirt l4 terminates ina bead I5 through the end portions of which engage a pair of rods I6attached to the cheek plates l3 and screwthreaded at their free ends toreceive nuts ll or equivalent knurled or roughened manipulators whichbear against the outer face of the bead I5. The material of which theskirt M is made (a metal or alloy inherently having qualities of highflexibility) is so selected as to permit this skirt to be flexed,without creating any salients, from the position C to the position C(shown in dotted lines) by screwing the nuts or manipulators l1 so as toresiliently push ofl the bead l5 and change the curvature of the skirtM. The general curvature of the skirt I4 is that of a scotia whichmerges into the cylindrical segment curvature of the trough II]. Areflector thus constructed may be arranged for directing the reflectedrays upwards, downwards, horizontally or obliquely depending onpractical requirements. By more or less flexing the skirt I4, which isrendered possible with a sufiicient amount of precision by theengagement of the nuts I1 and screw-threaded rods IS, the reflected beammay be more or less dispersed or concentrated to suit illumination orthermal requirements.

Figure 5 shows in a similar way a constructional form of the reflectoraccording to Figure 2. The reflecting web 20 having an internal smooth,undulated or goffered polished surface is in the aosaeaa shape'qf awidely opened trough attached by any conventional securing means alongits longitudinal edge A which forms a fulcrum for the application of theflexing stresses. This trough 20 can be submitted along its oppositelongitudinal edge B to the gradually adjusted pressure of cams orrockers 2| fixedly secured to a tie rod 22 engaged revolubly through thecheek plates of a casing 23 having reinforcing strips 24. By rotatingthe rod 22 in the required direction, the cams or rockers 2| graduallypush the adjacent edge of the web 23 oil the inner wall oi the casing 23from the position B to the position B so as to correspondingly modifythe reflective eflect of the web 23 on the rays emitted by the source ofenergy 8 (not shown) which may be constituted by electric lamps mountedin sockets of known shape diagrammatically represented at 23. Byrotating the rod 22 in the reverse direction, the cams or rockers 2|gradually allow the web 20 to flexibly resume its original positioninside the casing 23, its adjacent longitudinal edge passing from theposition B of maximum curvature to a position B of less curvature.Evidently, the size and shape of the cams or rockers 2| are arranged forflexing the reflecting web 20 to the desired extent depending on thedeviation to be imparted to the reflected beam of rays.

The constructional details of the reflectors shown in Figures 4 and 5might of course vary within the scope of the subjoined claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A reflector for a source of wave-motion energy comprising a unitarycontinuous reflecting web of curvilinear profile devoid of salientspartly enclosing the source of energy, said web being made of aninherently highly resilient material, holders located laterally of theweb for supporting said source of energy, means permanently holdingagainst flexion a fulcrum portion oi said web, means carried by saidholders for gradually pressing said web so as to flexibly modify itscurvilinear profile within wide limits and to change its reflectingeflect, and means coordinated with the last-named means for holding saidweb in the adjusted flexed position.

2. A reflector for a source of wave-motion energy comprising a unitarycontinuous reflecting web of curvilinear profile devoid of salientspartly enclosing the source of energy, said web being made of aninherently highly resilient material, holders located on either side orthe web for supporting said source of energy, a trough permanentlyholding against flexion a fulcrum portion of said web from one of itslongitudinal edges, rods fastened to said holders and carryingadjustable pressing members for engaging the opposite longitudinal edgeof the web and for gradually flexing it and modifying its curvilinearproflle and its reflecting eflect within wide limits.

3. A reflector for a source of wave-motion energy comprising a unitarycontinuous reflecting web of curvilinear profile tree of salients partlyenclosing the source of energy, said web being made of an inherentlyhighly resilient material, cheek plate holders located on either sidesof the web for supporting said source of energy, a trough attached tosaid holders and permanently holding against flexion a fulcrum portionof said web from one of its longitudinal edges, rods fastened to saidholders and engaging through the web, and adjustable nut-like pressingmembers carried by said rods and engaging the region of said webadjacent its opposite longitudinal edge, adjustment of such pressingmembers permitting to gradually flex the web and to modify itscurvilinear profile and its reflecting eflect within wide limits.

4. A reflector for a source of wave-motion energy comprising a unitarycontinuous reflecting web of curvilinear profile free of salients partlyenclosing the source of energy, said web being made of an inherentlyhighly resilient material and being held against flexion along alongitudinal edge fulcrum portion, cheek plate holders located laterallyoi the web for supporting said source of energy, a tie rod revolublyengaged through said holders, and presser members carried by said rodand engaging the region of said web adjacent its opposite longitudinaledge, rotary adjustment of such presser members permitting to graduallyflex the web and to modify within wide limits its curvilinear profileand its reflecting eflect on the rays emitted from the source of energy.

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